Lughnassad Ritual 2003
Procession into the circle/purification: In the order North, East, South, West all stand in a line to greet and purify the congregants as they enter the circle. You may use a representational element of your direction, such as water, incense/feather, dirt, charcoal, or whatever you wish to apply to each person as they enter.
Greeter: As the congregants proceed through the directions, they are greeted by the High Priest and given a few words of wisdom.
Cast the circle:
Banishing:1
Spirits of evil,
Unfriendly beings,
Unwanted guests,
Begone!
Leave us, leave this place, leave this circle,
That the gods may enter,
Go, or be cast into the outer darkness!
Go, or be drowned in the watery abyss!
Go, or be torn by the whirlwind!
By the powers of life, death, and rebirth.
All shout:
We banish you, we banish you, we banish you, be gone!!!! (Make lots of noise.)
Out, out, out, be gone! (Continue loudly chanting while Marilyn sweeps the circle and Raenna rings a bell.)
Song: Gathered Here2
Gathered here in the mystery of the hour.
Gathered here in one strong body.
Gathered here in the struggle and the power.
Spirit draw near.
Call the quarters: Let the dwellers of the far kingdoms be hailed!
North:
Hail spirits of the North, powers of Air. We call upon you to blow staleness away, fill our lungs with air and clear our minds. Come by the air that is her breath. Send forth your light. Be here now.
East:
Hail spirits of the East, Powers of Earth. We call upon you to keep us centered and out bodies strong. Keep us mindful of Mother Earth. Come stone, by the earth that is her body. Send forth strength. Be here now.
South:
Hail spirits of the South, powers of Fire. We call upon you to warm our hearts and let our passions glow. Come spark of life, by the fire that is her bright spirit, send forth your flame. Be here now.
West:
Hail spirits of the West, powers of Water. We call upon you, rain on us, quench our thirst, and let us laugh and weep. Come tides, by living waters of her womb, send forth your flow. Be here now.
Call the God:3
Listen to the words of the Horned God, the guardian of all things wild and free, and keeper of the gates of death, whose call all must answer:
I am the fire within your heart and the yearning of your soul. I am the hunter of knowledge and the seeker of the holy quest. I who stand in the darkness of light, I am He whom you call Death. I am the consort and Mate of Her we adore; call forth to me. Heed my call, beloved ones, come unto me and learn the secrets of death and peace. I am the corn at harvest and the fruit on the trees. I am he who leads you home. Call unto me in the forest wild and on the hilltop bare and seek me in the Darkness Bright. I who have been called Lugh, John Barleycorn, Ganaskidi, Osiris, speak to thee in thy search. Come dance and sing, come live and smile, for behold: this is my worship. You are my children and I am thy Father. On swift night wings it is I who lay you at the Mother’s feet to be reborn and to return again. Thou who think to seek me, know that I am the untamed wind, the fury of storm and passion in your Soul. Seek me with pride and humility, but seek me best with love and strength. For this is my path, and I love not the weak and fearful. Hear my call on long Winter night and we shall stand together guarding Her Earth as She sleeps.
Blessed Father God, be here now.
Call the Goddess:3
Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who of old was called Kaikara, Ops, Ceres, and by many other names:
Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is the Queen of all the Wise. You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you are free you shall be naked in your rites. Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is the joy on earth. For My Law is love unto all things. Mine is the secret that opens the door of youth, and Mine is the cup of wine of life that is the Cauldron of Ceridwen that is the holy grail of immortality. I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal and beyond death. I give peace and freedom and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold: I am the mother of all things and my Love is poured upon the earth.
Blessed Mother Goddess, be here now.
All say: Be here now!
Song/Chant: Now we come to the time of our first chant. Everyone hold hands and we will dance around thee circle. This is a time of joy and expectation of abundance. The circle dance reminds us of the Wheel of the Year. We will go around once and return to our starting points, just as each season returns in its place. We will then pass a hug around the circle.
Lughnassad Dance4
At the festival sound the horn,
Calling the people again.
Child of Barleycorn,
Newly summer-born.
Ripening like the grain-o.
Ripening like the grain.
Priest:
The seed was planted. The God entered the Earth. The seed was tended and it grew into the grain. The God is in the grain. The grain is now to be harvested. The God sacrifices himself once more so that we, his daughters and sons, may live.
Priestess:
The seed was planted in the Earth. It grew in the womb of the Mother. The God was renewed. He has grown into the grain. The Goddess is now prepared to receive the sacrifice of the God once again so that we, her daughters and sons, may live.
The callers of the Quarters in unison:
The Wheel of the Year turns. Each season is fulfilled. We now prepare for the sacrifice of the God so that we, the children of the Goddess and God, may live.
Water:
The water will turn to ice and we will feel the dryness.
Air:
The air will grow cold and we will miss the warmth of the sun.
Earth:
The ground will grow hard and we will be grateful for an abundant harvest.
Fire:
In the midst of the cold, hard dryness, we will be grateful for the gift of fire.
Priest: (holding the tray with the bread)
The harvest of wheat, corn, barley, oats, and other grains will give us the staff of life: bread.
Priestess:
We celebrated the first harvest by eating the bread. This is our communion, so please wait until everyone has taken a piece before eating.
Together, the Priestess and Priest walk around the circle and offer bread to each person.
After everyone has taken a piece of bread, the Priest says:
Honor the sacrifice. Eat and be strong so that the cycle of life may continue.
Active chant/song (lots of noise: clapping, drums, noise makers, etc.)
We Are One (author unknown)
We are one with the Mother
We are one with the Earth
We are one with each other
By our lives by our birth,
We are one,
We are one,
We are one.
Food Blessing:
I will now bless the food we are about to share.
For the fruit of the earth and the work of human hands, we thank you. For blessings and abundance, we thank you. What comes forth shall return in the eternal dance of Goddess and God. Join with us, enjoy with us. Blessed be
Devoke the circle:
Farewell to the Goddess: Blessed Mother Goddess, we thank you for your presence, for this circle, for darkness and light, for love and change. We ask your blessing as you depart. Hail and farewell.
Farewell to the God: Blessed Father God, we thank you for your presence, for this circle, for darkness and light, for love and change. We ask for your blessing as you depart. Hail and farewell.
Dismiss the Quarters:
West: Guardians of the West, we thank you for your presence, and for witnessing out rites. We bid you hail and farewell, blessed be.
All say: Hail and farewell!!
South: Guardians of the South, we thank you for your presence, and for witnessing out rites. We bid you hail and farewell, blessed be.
All say: Hail and farewell!!
East: Guardians of the East, we thank you for your presence, and for witnessing out rites. We bid you hail and farewell, blessed be.
North: Guardians of the North, we thank you for your presence, and for witnessing out rites. We bid you hail and farewell, blessed be.
All say: Hail and farewell!!
The Bread We Share5
The bread we share today is sacred.
Grain, gift of the earth gives life.
The friendship we share today is sacred.
All gatherings when people meet and touch, celebrate life.
The laughter we share today is sacred.
Joy and sorrow that rise from love are springs of life.
The stillness we share today is sacred.
In this peace is a haven for the spirit which nurtures life.
For bread, for friends, for joy and sorrow, for the comfort of quietness: let us ever be grateful and caring.
All sing:
May the circle be open but not broken
May the peace of the Goddess be ever in your heart
Merry Meet and Merry Part
And Merry Meet Again.6
Hugs all around.
1. We tried this sort of banishing a few times. We ended up dropping it from our rituals without anyone even mentioning it. Talk about consensus.
2. Philip A. Porter, Gathered Here, in Singing the Living Tradition Unitarian Universalist Association, 1993
3. Starhawk, The Spiral Dance, HarperSanFrancisco, an Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 1989
5. Rudolph Nemser, The Bread We Share in Singing the Living Tradition Unitarian Universalist Association, 1993
6. Found at BryteUnicorn's Enchanted Forest
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